Penn State’s bye week arrives with the Nittany Lions staring at an 0-4 Big Ten record and trying to sort through a season that has gone far differently than expected. After a fourth straight loss, this time at Michigan, there’s at least one area where the arrow is clearly pointing up: the wide receiver room.
Sowell was the lone bright spot on an offense that spent much of Saturday grinding to a halt. He hauled in 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, dragging Penn State’s attack along in a game where points were hard to come by. In the process, he became the first Nittany Lions receiver to reach at least 11 catches in a game since Parker Washington did it against Ohio State in 2022, and he joined Washington and Koby Howard as the only Penn State receivers since 2022 to top 150 receiving yards in a game.
What Sowell has become in a short span is hard to miss. Without Koby Howard available, he has emerged as Penn State’s clear No. 1 target and one of the Big Ten’s better receivers.
The performance also gave his draft stock a meaningful boost. And it only sharpens the sense of what Penn State missed in recent seasons - first in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame, when no Penn State receiver caught a pass, and then in 2025, when the offense still lacked a true go-to option for Drew Allar.
With Sowell and Howard together for a full season, the thought lingers on what might have been.
The back end of the defense, meanwhile, has quietly become one of the strongest parts of the roster. Against Michigan, Penn State’s cornerbacks again looked like a group that belongs among the nation’s best. Michigan’s quarterbacks combined for just 90 passing yards, the second-lowest total against Penn State this season, and threw two interceptions.
Daryus Dixson and Audavion Collins have been steadying forces at outside corner, while freshman Josiah Zayas has become a real hidden gem in the slot. Zayas’ performance against Michigan included a one-handed interception near the end of the first half, a highlight that capped a dominant day for the corners. He is tied with linebacker Tony Rojas for the team lead with two interceptions and earned a spot on The Athletic’s midseason All-Freshman team.
Penn State’s confidence in its corner depth was clear enough that the staff moved Zion Tracy from nickel to safety full-time against Michigan. Zayas has also shown he can do more than cover; he added a key third-down tackle on an island early in the second half.
If one unit helped its case, another did the opposite. Becht’s stock has taken a real hit over the last three Big Ten games, and the numbers back it up.
He has had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter in three of four conference games - Wisconsin, USC and Michigan - and in total he has had five such drives, not counting three chances to close out Wisconsin. None of those chances ended with a score.
Two of those drives ended in three-and-outs against Michigan, and the cluster of missed opportunities has made it hard to square Becht with the player Penn State said it could lean on in pressure moments. He has also coughed up five interceptions and six total turnovers in his last three games. Against Michigan, all 21 Wolverines points came after his three turnovers.
Even so, the direction from the staff is unchanged. Becht is expected to start against Purdue in Week 9.
“We have complete faith in Rocco Becht,” Penn State coach Matt Campbell said Tuesday.
There was at least one other notable development from Campbell’s comments: Penn State is beginning to settle into an identity in the run game. That doesn’t necessarily mean good news for James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace, though.
Carson Hansen played 61 of Penn State’s 80 offensive snaps against Michigan and handled 15 of the team’s 22 rushing attempts. Peoples, the closest back in workload, carried just five times.
That usage points to Hansen reclaiming the featured role, even if the production wasn’t especially efficient. Hansen led the backs at 3.4 yards per carry, and nobody else in the room got above 3. If Saturday was any indication, the running back hierarchy has narrowed, and the rest of the group may have to watch Hansen take the lead down the stretch.
Penn State returns Oct. 31 at Beaver Stadium against Purdue, with kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
In Other News...
Cael Sanderson Just Raised A Serious Penn State Wrestling Concern
Cael Sanderson used Penn State wrestlings media day to voice a concern that has lingered around college athletics for some time: whether the rules are being enforced clearly enough for programs to know where they stand. The Penn State coach sounded frustrated by the NCAAs uncertainty, saying the lack of consistent standards can make it hard to tell whether playing by the book could actually leave a team at a disadvantage.
The immediate wrinkle for Penn State involves former wrestler Levi Haines, whose eligibility status remains unclear even as he continues preparing for international freestyle competition. Sanderson pointed to that uncertainty as part of a bigger problem, one that affects not just the Nittany Lions but the broader landscape of college wrestling, where clarity on who can compete and when still seems frustratingly out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands Next Hire Could Create A New Big Ten Problem For Penn State
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Among the possibilities being discussed are JaMarcus Shephard, Jason Eck, Jake Dickert, Bryant Haines and Billy Napier, a mix that shows Maryland could lean either toward upside or experience. The fit question is the real one here, because a strong hire could help stabilize a program that has struggled for consistency and make the conference landscape a little tougher to navigate. For Penn State, that is the part worth watching: Maryland does not need to become a powerhouse to affect the Nittany Lions, only steady enough to make one more Big Ten game harder than it should be. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wrestling Is About To Dominate The National Spotlight
Penn State wrestling is set to spend plenty of time in the national window next winter, with the Big Ten Network unveiling its 2026-27 television schedule and putting the Nittany Lions front and center. Penn State leads the conference with seven nationally televised matches, a fitting setup for a program that has turned marquee duals into routine appointments for the sports most invested fan base.
Three of those broadcasts will come at home at the Jordan Center, while four more will follow the Nittany Lions on the road for Big Ten matchups. BTN will also carry the 2027 Big Ten Championships from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, giving Penn State another high-profile stage as it continues to navigate the conference slate that usually decides everything in March. [Read more 🡒]